I picked up my phone late one afternoon, while I was finishing a story. An HR manager was on the line. “Can I ask you a quick question about dress code policies?” he asked.

“Dress codes?” I asked him. “Sure, I guess so.”

“Here’s my question,” said the HR fellow. “We currently allow pantsuits for our female employees. What I’m wondering is, should we go ahead and allow those pantsuits to include shorter slacks, sometimes known as capri pants, clam-diggers or pedal pushers?”

Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR executive and the CEO of Human Workplace, an online community and consulting firm focused on reinventing work and career education. She is working with the Denver Post to bring the best expert advice on work place issues and tips to improve your career. Note: Liz Ryan was selected for her expertise, but her opinions are solely her own. We are not endorsing or advocating her business.